Chapter 69: BATTLE OF WILLS
Dawn broke over the corruption zone with unnatural colors—a violet and crimson sunrise that painted the assembled army in shades of dried blood. The air vibrated with tension as thousands of warriors stood in formation, their breath creating clouds of steam in the chill morning air. Many had been unable to sleep, haunted by the grotesque landscape that awaited them.
Shia stood at the vanguard, her silver armor now embellished with runes of containment—hastily inscribed protection against the corruption they were about to face. The dark circles under her eyes betrayed her sleepless night, not from fear of battle, but from the weight of what she had witnessed—and what she now had to do.
"He’s still in there," she whispered to herself. "But for how long?"
Reed’s transformation had been seared into her mind. The way his body had embraced the corruption, channeling it rather than succumbing to it. The golden-red light that had replaced the sickly violet glow of Vrashtor’kaal’s influence. It defied everything they understood about the corruption’s nature, yet aligned perfectly with the ancient texts she’d studied about the Unmaker.
Lord Vexior approached, his pale features composed despite the horror that lay ahead. "The artifact bearers are in position, Commander. The containment ritual can begin once we breach the inner perimeter."
Around them, five noble lords from different kingdoms stood ready, each bearing one of the artifacts recovered from ancient vaults. Like pieces of a puzzle, the artifacts had been distributed according to Reed’s instructions at the council. What none had realized then—what perhaps only Reed had known—was that the bearers were being slowly corrupted by the very items they carried.
"And what of Reed?" Vexior asked, his voice carefully neutral.
Shia’s hand tightened on her sword hilt. "If we find him... if he’s still himself, we extract him. If not..." She couldn’t finish the sentence.
The necromancer nodded, understanding the unspoken command. "My death-seers have performed the rituals. They say a consciousness still fights within the corruption’s heart. Whether it’s still Reed or something wearing his form, they cannot tell."
Horns sounded along the line—deep, resonant notes that signaled the advance. The massive army began to move forward in disciplined formations. Engineers had worked through the night to create walkways over the most corrupted ground, while mages maintained barriers against the mutagenic effects of the environment.
"For the Seven Kingdoms!" shouted Commander Talon as the first wave crashed against the outer defenses of the corruption zone.